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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
WELP. I was so looking forward to this book because it came so highly recommended but the fat shaming and then the flagrant use of the R slur was enough for me.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The deaths and backstory were super creepy and I loved the inclusion of the history of witchcraft in Iceland. The main character/romantic side seemed a little awkward to me but I love this author. Not sure if I’ll come back to this series or not but it was a great dark crime drama.
one of the reasons I particularly enjoyed Todd's book was because I took a history of witchcraft course in college. Malleus Malificarum was one of the books err read (though my memories of it are not the same as it's description here). I also enjoyed the fact that it was a detective novel without an actual detective. it's a lighter, easier read than the millennium series, and also has a different feel than Lackberg's Patrick Hedstrom series.
I'm utterly uninterested in Thora's personal life (skip, skip, skip). Just get to the murder, already.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Harald Guntlieb, a university student from Germany, is killed in Iceland and a friend of his is arrested. Harald's family doubts the police explanation and sends Matthew Reich to investigate further. Since Matthew speaks no Icelandic, he hires a lawyer, Thora Gudmundsdottir, to assist him. The murder investigation soon leads them to research the history of sorcery in Iceland, Harald's thesis topic.
What this mystery really lacks is dramatic tension. There is virtually none. There are macabre touches but a "yuck" factor is not the same as suspense. The investigation plods along and no one is ever in any real danger. A great deal of luck and coincidence helps to solve the case: "'the evidence came from two different sources on the very same day'" (272). To make matters worse, there are plot tangents, mostly into Thora's personal life; she has to deal with some family issues which are totally irrelevant to the main plot. How she handles one particular family crisis is clearly intended to develop her character, but her traits could have been shown in her involvement in the murder investigation.
There are problems with Thora's characterization. She seems immature for her age. She is so scatter-brained that she serves a guest a meal without a main course (254). She is so naive that she seems not to have discussed safe sex with her sixteen-year-old son. In addition, her knowledge of the law seems weak. She and her partner in a law firm are not particularly astute: "Who would consult a legal firm that specializes in contractual law yet messes up its own contracts" (6)? Later, "She was wondering whether she could be disbarred for serious abuse of her position and a flagrant conflict of interest. In fact she was unsure whether the law made such a provision . . ." Then she asks a police officer, "'Can I see [the accused] alone or am I supposed to be present when he's interrogated'" (271)?
The relationship between Matthew and Thora is stereotypical. They are obviously intended to be foil characters in the vein of Brennan and Booth in "Bones" or the Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis characters in "Moonlighting." There is little original in their depiction - (not so)witty repartee with some unacknowledged sexual attraction.
Two other novels in this series have been translated into English and I may read them, but only if nothing else demands my attention more strongly.
Please check out my blog (http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
What this mystery really lacks is dramatic tension. There is virtually none. There are macabre touches but a "yuck" factor is not the same as suspense. The investigation plods along and no one is ever in any real danger. A great deal of luck and coincidence helps to solve the case: "'the evidence came from two different sources on the very same day'" (272). To make matters worse, there are plot tangents, mostly into Thora's personal life; she has to deal with some family issues which are totally irrelevant to the main plot. How she handles one particular family crisis is clearly intended to develop her character, but her traits could have been shown in her involvement in the murder investigation.
There are problems with Thora's characterization. She seems immature for her age. She is so scatter-brained that she serves a guest a meal without a main course (254). She is so naive that she seems not to have discussed safe sex with her sixteen-year-old son. In addition, her knowledge of the law seems weak. She and her partner in a law firm are not particularly astute: "Who would consult a legal firm that specializes in contractual law yet messes up its own contracts" (6)? Later, "She was wondering whether she could be disbarred for serious abuse of her position and a flagrant conflict of interest. In fact she was unsure whether the law made such a provision . . ." Then she asks a police officer, "'Can I see [the accused] alone or am I supposed to be present when he's interrogated'" (271)?
The relationship between Matthew and Thora is stereotypical. They are obviously intended to be foil characters in the vein of Brennan and Booth in "Bones" or the Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis characters in "Moonlighting." There is little original in their depiction - (not so)witty repartee with some unacknowledged sexual attraction.
Two other novels in this series have been translated into English and I may read them, but only if nothing else demands my attention more strongly.
Please check out my blog (http://schatjesshelves.blogspot.ca/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski).
I enjoy this author so much and her unique take on crime-drama. The fact that they take place in Iceland is a bonus because I feel as if I'm visiting another land! Definitely excited to read more from her.
Pulp murder mystery with some bonus Icelandic history. The side romance was a bit of a stretch, but a good palate cleanser after a heavier book.
I liked Thora well enough to forgive this first installment its ick factor and its slogginess.